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JetBlue founder's new Brazil airline will fly to USA

The Brazilian carrier launched by JetBlue founder Dave Neeleman is coming to the USA. Azul Airlines announced on Wednesday it has orders in for 11 wide-body Airbus aircraft that will fuel its expansion to

JetBlue founder's new Brazil airline will fly to USA

David Neeleman, with thumbs up, poses for a picture with an Azul Airlines model airplane at a news conference in Sao Paulo to announce the new airline on May 28, 2008.(Photo: Andre Penner, AP)

The Brazilian carrier launched by JetBlue founder Dave Neeleman is coming to the USA. The carrier — Azul Airlines — says it will begin flying to as-of-yet unnamed destinations in the USA beginning in 2015.

Azul said on Wednesday it has orders for 11 wide-body Airbus jets that will fuel its expansion to destinations outside Brazil.

The first of those aircraft — six Airbus A330-200 jets that will be leased from the ILFC firm — are expected to begin flying for the carrier in 2015. Azul says it also has ordered five of Airbus' next-generation A350-900 jets. Those jets are expected to begin arriving in 2017.

With the new aircraft, Azul says it "expects to debut its first international flights by early 2015."

Azul plans to announce its U.S. destinations later this year, but Azul says those flights will operate out of its "brand new $1.5 billion terminal at Sao Paulo/Campinas airport."

"Our customers have been asking for this and now we look forward to providing them with our superior service on international flights, just as we have been doing today on our 880 daily domestic departures," Neeleman says in a statement announcing Azul's plans. "We're excited to share the Azul experience with new customers internationally and expand the airline's success story beyond Brazil's borders."

So far, Azul has flown only within Brazil, where it is the third-biggest carrier. It currently has a fleet of 80 Embraer jets and 56 ATR turbo props.

Neeleman, best known in the USA for launching New York-based JetBlue, founded Brazil's Azul about a year after he stopped down as CEO of that carrier. Azul mades it first flight in December 2008.